The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1887-07-21
HRS. BARKER'S WOOD!
sNo wood!"

Mrs. John Bankers eyes wandered in
iismay around the unpromising looking
kood yard. Two or three green logs
ay there; against one 81 which an IL
leaned In a cleft formed BY q stove
length being half ohapped oil: Her
husband and his hired help, Consisting
# man aud boy, had just gone to their
work, on a. distant part Of the farm; and
she knew she should see neither 81
them before dark.
What should she dop Hall imlpa;
iently she turned toward the house, and
shen, with thought Of the pan Of light
dough waiting inside, she began to
gather some of tho chips which lay
around, only to fling them down again.
"It's no use. I can't bake bread
with these. know what I'll do"
She quickly washed the dinner dishes
With the already cooling water, and
then went to the stable, in which. with
hands de1trous by practice IN such
work, she had soon harnessed Q horse
TO light buggy.
Mother and the girls will think I'm
crazy" she said to herself, "but I
can't help that: I swung an OK once
and ached for a month to pay for it, so
I'm not eoing to do it again."
She brought out hor pan of bread
wrapped in a large cloth, aud, setting it
in the bottom of the buggy; sprung in
herself, and had soon driven the two
miles which lay between her own house
and her mothers. Arriving there she
carried in her pan and set it down with
. laugh.
"There, mother, I've como to bake
my bread. John and the others went
off without leaving me any wood, ahd I
had to do it or let it spoil: Men will
forget, you know" -,
She was not going to blame him to
others, nor let them imagine how often,
since she had gone as bride to John
Barker's new house only last spring,
tho had this same trouble about wood.
"That's right. Set it right down
there by tho fire, so'till get bet up be-
fore you knead it into loaves. Yes,
they will; and if any mans to be OK
cused for not keepin' wood on his mind
it's John Barker, if there's anything in
blood and I say there is. His father
Is just So real forehanded man, good
provider, and took proper pride in hav-
in things ep!ck and span about him,
but never seemin' to think what both
CT it was to the women folks not to have
their wood handy. Many and many's
the time I've dropped into tea with
Johns mother and SEQ her have the
greatest time scrapin' up a few chips
or shakin' tho snow off sticks OF miser.
able green wood"
Johns wife turned her face as she
took off her things, for fear her friends
would see in her face how nearly her
own experience was already becoming
like that of Johns mother.
Il used to tell her." went on her
mother that she'd ought to trained him
better when he was young. Now, like
as not, John takes little after his faith
er-nobody could wonder at it-and l
wish father could haul you q load or
two of his good seasoned wood, s'pose
twouldn't do-eh, Susan
mo. 'twouldn't do, mother; thank
you all the same"
Twilight of the November day was
shutting in whea John Barker, return
ing to his house, missed the accustomed
fire glow in the windows.
whats up no 6rel no wife! No
wonder!" he calculated again, as he went
out and took. a view of the wood yard.
After fifteen minutes work with his
ax ho carried in an armful of wood and
kindling, and hada bright fire crack
ling and swapping in the stove by the
time his wife's CHEEKY voice was heard.
1--WE had q real frolic, john" she
said, Juggling in basket, from which
she laid out several loaves of bread and
number of light, puffy biscuits. II
couldn't find any wood, so I Just hitch.
ed up old Bill and went over to moth
er's to bake my bread"
There was not tho slightest shade of
reproach in her tones, but John felt q
Jingle of modification at what had &C.
Cured, and resolved that it should not
happen again, and so he assured Susan
with great fervor.
And the next day he went vigorously
to work to keep his word. Logs, some
freshly felled, others which had fallen
through decay. were hauled from the
piece of timber land belonging to the
farm, and for week all hands sawed
and chopped with will. Then the re-
suits were flung poll nell into the wood
shed, and John, who had never learned
at home to look far enough ahead to
think of providing seasoned wood from
year to year, felt proud at having done
his duty like man.
And Susan, as she worried through
that winter with wood green or decayed,
too short or too long for the stove,
made up her mind land she had good
deal OF mind of her own to make up)
that she would never worry through
such another, remembering some sensi-
bio advice her sensible, energetic moth
er had given her when she left home.
"Bear things, Susan. There's lots of
things has to be borne in this world,
and them that learns to bear 'em best's
tho best of all. Men will be trying,
and if woman can't be patient it's apt to
make trouble. But mind-when I say
bear mean there's reason in all things,
and I don't mean you should bear
things that's out of all reason. IT q
woman'll let herself be trod on, and
them that does it'll never thank her for
it or look up to her for it. Bear what's
reasonable, Susan, but if things 40 be-
yon1 reason, why then look out for
yourself"
It came about that when the next
October term of the Circuit Court was
in session John was drawn on the jury
and had to be away for two weeks.
"Why, what in the worlds this, Su-
SAM" he said, staring into the wood
shed when he got home the second
Saturday.
"That's my winters supply OF wood"
said Susan.
"And how In thunder did it get
there-ana in such good shape, tool"
He gazed at it in astonishment.